Ratchet and Clank: Weapons of Mass Dysfunction
by Temporal abnormalities
Summary: Ratchet and Clank, yet again, have to stop Dr. Nefarious from putting another one of his crazy schemes into action.   There's just one difference...   This time, he's caught Ratchet and it's up to Clank to save the day with the help of Captin Quark!
1. Devistated

**A/N: I don't have much to say except for please R&R! :) **  
><strong>Oh, and if you know the real name of the 'pyro-guys' or a better weapon than 'The Devistator', please let me know. :) <strong>  
><strong>I'm working on the second chapter at the moment, it should be up soon. <strong>  
><strong>This is somewhere between Up Your Arsenal and the Furure Trilogy.<strong>

"Okay, so if I charge this long enough, it should wipe out all those pyro-guys in one shot, right?"  
>Ratchet asked his robot companion in a hushed voice.<br>The pair were hiding behind a stone pillar, seconds away from said 'pyro-guys'.  
>"That is correct"<br>Clank confirmed.  
>Ratchet pulled back the trigger on 'The Devistator' and the weapon began to make a low humming noise, growing steadily higher in frequency as it gained more power.<br>"Ready pal?"  
>"As always"<p>

After a minute or so, Ratchet was still behind the pillar charging the weapon which was now humming at a very high pitch.  
>"Ratchet, I think it is time to let go of the trigger"<br>Clank advised.  
>"Ah, it'll be fine, a little extra power won't hurt anyone, well; I guess it might hurt <em>them<em>"  
>Ratchet gestured to the front of the pillar and smirked.<br>Clank closed his eyes and pinched where the bridge of his nose would have been.  
>After a bit longer, Ratchet jumped out from behind the pillar and let go of the trigger, aiming at the enemy. The pyro-guys didn't even have time to be surprised, nor did the Lombax have time to admire his handy work, either.<br>The extreme power of the shot caused the recoil of the weapon to also be more powerful, hitting Ratchet in the head and knocking him out cold. The little robot crawled out from underneath his friend, looked around and sighed.  
>"Well, at least he managed to destroy the 'pyro-guys'."<p> 


	2. Captured

**A/N: Hi! My one amazing review drove me to write another chapter...**  
><strong>So here it is! :)<strong>  
><strong>I hope you enjoy it and I've nearly finished chapter 3, which is a bit shorter though, please keep reading and R&amp;R! :)<strong>

* * *

><p>"Urgh..."<br>Ratchet groaned.  
>The Lombax opened his eyes groggily only to discover the room he was in was... Upside down?<br>"Wait, that can't be right..."  
>He said to himself.<br>He rubbed his eyes to clear his vision. After a second, more sensible thought, Ratchet realised that he was suspended from his ankles, hanging from the ceiling. He looked arounf the room and took in his surroundings. (Well, the best he could from his position.)  
>There was a bobble-headed Courtney Gears figurine sitting on a shelf, the rest of that space being occupied by 'Secret Agent Clank' holo-vids. There was also a 'Secret Agent Clank' poster on the wall. Clank in the poster had a unibrow and moustache scribbled on his face and the name 'Clank' had been crossed out and replaced with 'Stupid Pants', all done with a black permanent marker. After seeing the 'Lance and Janet' coffee mug, Ratchet knew this <em>had<em> to be Dr. Nefarious's latest lair.  
>As the thought rolled through his mind, Lawrence, Nefarious's robot butler, pushed through a set of double doors.<br>"Are you conscious, Lombax?"  
>He asked, seeing that Ratchet was awake but not seeming to care either way.<br>"Uh... Yeah?"  
>He replied, almost cautiously.<br>Lawrence sighed and exited the room.  
>Ratchet strained his ears to hear the conversation behind the doors.<br>"Well, is he awake?"  
>"Yes, sir."<br>"Okay Lawrence, when I make my entrance, you have to follow me in, okay?"  
>"Yes... sir."<br>Ratchet rolled his eyes.  
>"SO, SQUISHIE!"<br>Nefarious boomed as he burst through the double doors dramatically, placing his hands behind his back.  
>"Finally awake, are we?"<br>He looked behind himself, around the room then dropped the act and fell into a slouch, facing the doorway.  
>"Law-rence!"<br>He whined.  
>"You were supposed to FOLLOW me!"<br>"I must have forgotten"  
>Lawrence drawled sarcastically as rolled into the room.<br>My apologies, sir."  
>Nefarious didn't seem to notice his butler's sarcasm.<br>"Good."  
>He mumbled before he stood straight and faced Ratchet again.<br>"Anyway, as you can see, rodent,"  
>Nefarious continued, this time without his 'dramatic' touch.<br>"I have caught you. In case you didn't realise, you're hanging from the rafters by your ankles."  
>"Oh, what? Really?"<br>Ratchet asked with extreme sarcasm while looking around with faux surprise, the blood rushing to his head was beginning to take its toll on him.  
>Then he remembered.<br>"Where's Clank?"  
>He asked, a tone of aggression in his voice this time.<br>"Clank? Your little 'robot' buddy?"  
>Nefarious made his fingers into quotation marks around the work 'robot'.<br>"We didn't bother with him. I don't _need_ him to take this plan into action."  
>"You mean you couldn't catch him..."<br>Ratchet sneered.  
>"Well, er, yes... I guess we had a <em>bit<em> of an advantage over you this time..."  
>"I was knocked out!"<br>"From your own stupidity!"  
>"Touché..."<br>Nefarious shot Ratchet a quizzical look.  
>"Do you even know what that means?"<br>"... It sounded like it fit?"  
>Ratchet shook his head and changed the subject.<br>"Why do you need me anyway? What're you gunna do to me?"  
>He lurched forwards at Nefarious, a failed attempt at intimidation. After he stopped swinging back and forth, he began to spin around slowly which made him feel a tad uneasy.<br>"Well... Oh,"  
>Nefarious seemed taken aback.<br>"I er, hadn't actually thought about that... Lawrence?"  
>He turned to the butler.<br>"What're we gunna do with him?"  
>Nefarious asked in a hushed tone.<br>"We could have him replace you, at least _he'd_ get something done around here..."  
>Lawrence drawled.<br>"LAAAAWWRREE-"  
>"Janet, we can't be together anymore"<br>"But why Lance, why?"  
>"Because Janet, as a child, my capability to love was stolen by a group of flesh-eating zombie Blargs!"<br>" I know! _I _was in that group of flesh-eating zombie Blargs!"  
>"Janet, will you marry me?"<br>"Oh Lance!"  
>"Oh Janet!"<br>"Oh Lance!"  
>Lawrence sighed and looked over at Ratchet.<br>"This is the best part of my day."  
>He went over to the shelf, grabbed a 'Secret Agent Clank' holo-vid, went back over to Nefarious and smacked it over his head with all his might.<br>"EEEEEEENNNNNNCCCEEE!"  
>"My apologies sir... We <em>must<em> get that fixed."  
>Lawrence said with phony sincerity, throwing the holo-vid in a pile with its smashed counterparts.<br>"What I meant to say was we should leave him hanging from the rafters, to let the blood rush to his head a bit longer."  
>"Yes, that is what we shall do,"<br>Nefarious decided, turning to Ratchet.  
>"You shall hang a while longer, puny organic lifeform!"<br>Ratchet groaned.  
>It was going to be a long day.<p> 


	3. Qwark

**A/N: Okay, Hi!  
>I don't think I captured Clank's personality too well at the start of this chapter, maybe that's him when his worried, I don't know.<br>Also, I'm a bit stuck for chapter for at the moment so any idea's at all, PLEASE let me know, I'll try make it a decent length when I think of something.  
>Oh and I appreciate these reviews so much you guys don't even realize, thank you! :D<br>**

* * *

><p>The little robot was pacing the living room of the small apartment in a spin.<br>"I-I didn't know what to do. I felt absolutely terrible for running away but if they had of captured me, how on earth would I be able to rescue him, or even let anyone know? I was panicking at the time so I just came to the first person I could think of…"  
>Clank was starting to calm down and was already regretting his decision. He ceased his pacing and turned to face the spandex-clad being across the dingy coffee table.<br>"Well of course you thought of me first!"  
>Captain Qwark jumped out of the two-seater and knocked the coffee table over.<br>"I _am _a superhero you know!"  
>Qwark chuckled.<br>"Wait, what am I saying, how could you NOT know I'm a superhero?"  
>Clank sighed and jumped up onto the two-seater on his side of the coffee table. He thought it wise to wait out Qwarks' egotistical speech.<p>

"And that's why I'm awesome!"  
>Qwark finished a short while later.<br>Clank thought it felt like forever but his intellectual side told him that it had only been seven and a half minutes.  
>"Anyway… Your thing?"<br>He brought up, nonchalantly.  
>"Ratchet!"<br>Clank shouted at him, exasperated.  
>"Where?"<br>Qwark shot up like a meer cat out of its' burrow, looking around the room.  
>The little robot sighed once more and slapped his hand on his forehead.<br>"Ratchet isn't here, Clank!"  
>Qwark stated, realizing the obvious.<br>"Never mind, captain."  
>Clank jumped down from the two-seater.<br>"I shall acquire someone else's assistance."  
>"NO WAIT!"<br>Clank turned to the couch Qwark was on but he wasn't there. He turned around only to see Qwark lying on his tummy, his hands in a praying position.  
>"What is it?"<br>He asked.  
>"You're not the only one that needs help! See, if I don't help anyone soon,"<br>Qwark lowered his voice to a whisper.  
>"I wont be a hero anymore."<br>His voice shot up again.  
>"I'LL ONLY BE SUPER!"<br>The man lay on the ground sobbing pathetically.  
>"I don't know, captain…"<br>"I'LL BE GOOD I SWEAR!"  
>Qwark looked up at Clank with attempted 'puppy dog eyes' but he failed miserably.<br>This only made him seem even more pathetic.  
>Clank sighed.<br>"Fine."  
>"OH YEAH!"<br>Qwark shot up to his feet immediately, grinning like a small child.  
>"Now, we're going to need a plan…"<br>Clank began, sitting back down.  
>"Do you have any crayons?"<p>

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Sorry about the severe shortitude, I'm completely stumped on chapter four right now! :L  
>Please let me know of any idea's you might have and I'll post again as soon as possible! Thanks for the R&amp;R's! Please keep it up! :)<br>**


	4. Torture

**A/N: Sorry this one's still not very long, I'm not quite sure if I like it actually... :L**  
><strong>Oh well, I hope you guys do anyway!<strong>  
><strong>Please keep your R&amp;R's, constructive criticism, and idea's rolling in, it's all so AWESOME!<strong>  
><strong>Thanks guys!<strong>

* * *

><p>"This is the stupidest torture ever."<br>Ratchet stated simply, his eyes shut tight.  
>"No Lawrence, keep going, it's getting to him, I can see it!"<br>Nefarious war right about that.  
>It <em>was<em> getting to him.  
>Well, his stomach anyway.<br>Lawrence sighed and continued to spin the Lombax (who was still hanging from the rafters) around in quick, clockwise circles. After a minute or so, he would change directions and this same pattern had continued for about half an hour now.  
>Nefarious watched with glee from his seat as Ratchet steadily grew a light shade of green under his fur.<br>He was never good with spinning.  
>"I swear Nefarious, if you don't let me down, I'll hurl on your new carpet! And it won't suit this shade of blue!"<br>Nefarious's grin fell.  
>"<em>Really<em> Lombax? That's disgusting. See Lawrence, this is why I hate organic life forms, they mess up your new carpet with bodily fluids and just, eugh!"  
>He shuddered as he got out of his chair and walked across the room.<br>"Shall I let him down, sir?"  
>Lawrence inquire d.<br>"Yes, yes, let him down."  
>Nefarious waved him off.<br>Lawrence pulled out a comically large pair of scissors, seemingly out of nowhere and  
>Snip!<br>Ratchet fell to the ground with a loud thump.  
>He finally opened his eyes and the room span around him which made him feel even more nauseous. He wondered if that were even possible. He sat up and pulled his knees to his chest, he could feel his body swaying side to side.<br>Nefarious threw him a red bucket without a glance and returned to his seat, his elbow now resting on the arm and his hand supporting his head while sporting a rather humdrum expression. Lawrence went over to Nefarious's side while watching the Lombax pale out. It was all too obvious what was going to happen next.  
>And sure enough, Ratchet grasped the bucket for dear life, began to sweat visibly and… Well, you know.<br>"Ew, ew, EW!"  
>Nefarious shot out of his seat, shaking his hands around and shifting from one foot to the other as if he were standing on hot coals.<br>"Gross!"  
>He shouted after he ceased his little jig.<br>Ratchet shot him a dirty look and took of his helmet to rid his fur of the clammy sweat.  
>He felt highly embarrassed that an enemy had seen him at such a weak point but never the less, he continued to wipe his face with his undershirt, trying his best to seem nonplussed. Once his face was dry, he turned to Nefarious who was sitting in his chair once more, but still had a disgusted look etched into his face.<br>"You really are repulsive, you know that?"  
>He queried, sounding a bit bushed.<br>Ratchet replied with a sheepish grin, knowing it would peeve the villain to no end.  
>"What now?"<br>He asked after a short silence.  
>Nefarious thought for a moment.<br>"Um, I guess I could do the usual evil genius thing, you know, tie you up and tell you my plan?"  
>Ratchet sighed.<br>"Sure, why not?"  
>"Lawrence, tie him up, will you?"<br>Ratchet stood up and let Lawrence lead him to a seat.  
>"No fight? How mundane…"<br>He drawled.  
>Swiftly, Ratchet pulled his Omni-Wrench out from nowhere and knocked Lawrence across the room into the pile of smashed holo-vids.<br>"That's what you think."  
>He smirked.<br>"Lawrence?"  
>Nefarious called.<br>Lawrence was unconscious.  
>"LOOOMBA-"<br>Nefarious short-circuited halfway through.  
>"Oh Lance, you make me feel like a young boy again!"<br>"Me too, Janet, Me too. Wait… What?"  
>Ratchet crashed through the doors and ran.<br>"AAAX!"  
>Nefarious was back.<br>The halls started flashing a deep red and a high pitched alarm began to sound. Rolling doors were cutting the halls into small sections and Ratchet knew no matter how fast he ran, he wouldn't make it to the exit.  
>He kept running anyway.<br>When he finally got closed in, a generic female voice sounded over the P.A.  
>"Security breach has been contained in subsection B4."<br>"Nefarious has his security worked out well…"  
>Ratchet thought to himself.<br>Four turrets emerged from each corner of the space. He got ready to shield himself from a herd of oncoming bullets but instead, all that came out was a thick, clear fog. It was making him feel drowsy but not like cryo-sleep. It was more like the fog used in some of his Dreadzone campaigns, making him feel weak and unsteady before passing out. Ratchet slid down the wall and let the inevitable happen.


	5. Plans

**A/N:  
>Hey guys!<br>Sorry it took so long to update!  
>I was a bit stuck :L<br>Well anyways, here it is!  
>Enjoy!<strong>

* * *

><p>Clank looked down at the series of crayon drawn pictures spread across the coffee table, each one featuring him in a highly dangerous, highly unlikely situation, or what Qwark liked to call 'plans'.<br>He had his doubts.  
>"Don't you think it would be more prudent to have the blueprints to Dr. Nefarious's base before you start assuming he has pits of…"<br>Clank picked a drawing at random and held it up to Qwark.  
>"Fire-breathing robot ninja zombie alligator pirates?"<br>"If I knew what a prudent was I'd answer that question, but right now, I'm busy working on plans to save that furry little Lombax, which you're not helping with too much by the way…"  
>And Qwark put a crayon to paper once more.<br>Clank sighed.  
>"Without the blueprints, we'd be better off infiltrating his base with no plan at all…"<br>He said to himself.  
>If Captain Qwark had visible ears, they sure as heck would have perked up at the sound of those last four words.<br>"No plans at all, eh?"  
>Qwark placed his yellow crayon down and lifted his head up slowly.<br>"That's a Qwarktastic idea! Let's go!"  
>And before Clank had a chance to protest, the spandex-clad man had already scooped up the little robot in his bulky arms and shot out the door to begin his latest adventure.<p>

* * *

><p>Ratchet woke up with a splitting headache. It couldn't of been the same fog they used on Dreadzone he thought, the after affects were much worse. He groaned and went to rub his eyes but when he moved his arms, he discovered that his wrists were restrained with metal cuffs that were a part of the bench he was lying on.<br>He lifted his head only to learn that his ankles and waist were also restrained. He looked around the room but there wasn't much to see.  
>The walls were metal with no windows and there was a single sliding door right across from him. The ceiling was the same except for the large holo-vision above his head and the room was cold enough to cause Ratchet to shiver slightly.<br>Nefarious's voice boomed around the room.  
>"So, Squishie! Thought you could get away, did you? Thought you could outwit me, did you?"<br>"Not like it hasn't happened before…"  
>Ratchet said to himself.<br>"SILENCE!"  
>Two turrets emerged from the table next to either side of his head, their barrels just touching his temples.<br>Ratchets eyes widened.  
>"Now, are we done with the back-chatting?"<br>He nodded.  
>"Good."<br>The turrets withdrew back inside the bench without a trace of existence.  
>"As I was saying,"<br>Nefarious continued.  
>"You escaping my new security is laughable! C'mon, try to escape!"<br>Ratchet shifted awkwardly.  
>The two turrets emerged once more.<br>"TRY TO ESCAPE!"  
>He tried to sit up but a large volt of electricity travelled through his body. Not large enough to cause serious injury, but still, large enough.<br>He lay on the bench, muscles tight and gasping for air.  
>Nefarious cackled evilly.<br>"See? I find that _quite _laughable!"  
>The turrets disappeared again and a head restraint materialized in their place, keeping his head facing up at the holo-vision.<br>"Anyway, I've decided rather than to _kill _you, I can use you to my advantage. If you attempt to ignore the screen, a lethal volt will travel through the headset and kill you. So either way, I win!"  
>Nefarious let out a particularly reprehensible laugh.<br>"What're yo-"  
>But the question was answered before Ratchet could finish.<br>Nefarious's head appeared on the holo-vision, his red eyes swirling identical to the background.  
>Words were spoken that Ratchet couldn't understand, he didn't need to anyway. Dr. Nefarious would tell him what they meant. Did he even need to think? Of course not, Dr. Nefarious would tell him what to do;<br>Thinking was unnecessary.  
>A feeling of bliss overtook his mind and he giggled softly at nothing in particular.<br>The Lombax's eyes glazed over, his body fell limp and he felt the head restraint retreat along with the wrist, waist and ankle bands.  
>The sliding doors open and Dr. Nefarious entered the room, Lawrence at his heels.<br>The holo-vision turned off but Ratchet's condition remained the same.  
>"Ratchet, what do you call me?"<br>He asked like he was calming a child.  
>"Sir, sir."<br>Ratchet replied monotony.  
>"What is your purpose?"<br>"To serve and protect Dr. Nefarious, sir."  
>"Good, good,"<br>Nefarious continued, circling the bench.  
>"Now, can you stand?"<br>The Lombax stood for a short second before collapsing in a heap on the cold floor.  
>"Negative, sir."<br>"Lawrence, take him to the chamber. We'll work on it from there."  
>Nefarious exited the room.<br>Lawrence picked up the half-conscious Lombax and threw him over his shoulder.  
>He was surprized at how heavy he was. In stature, Ratchet wasn't very big at all.<br>But what surprized Lawrence the most was how well Nefarious's plan was coming together. Maybe he really didn't give the doctor enough credit.  
>Ratchet giggled a bit again and Lawrence made his way to the chamber.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>AN:  
>Longer chapter than usual! Oooh!<br>This one was actually really hard to write but I think it came together really well.  
>What do you think?<br>I'll try to update more regularly, guys!**  
><strong>And thanks for reading! :3<strong>


	6. Crash

**A/N: Hey all! Sorry about the late chapter!, I've had a bit of writers block -.- **  
><strong>I have a new chapter ready, it's just a matter of finding time to type it up. <strong>  
><strong>Sorry about the shortitude again, I suck at long chapters! <strong>  
><strong>Also, ReaverClankAlice ArgonianxOrc pointed out that it's 'Janice' Not 'Janet'. <strong>  
><strong>Thank you! I knew that, I don't know why I put 'Janet', I was thinking about 'Rocky Horror' probably XD <strong>  
><strong>Anyway, thank you for putting up with me, next chappy should be up soon!<strong>  
><strong>AND THANK YOU FAR ALL THE REVIEWS! :D :D <strong>

* * *

><p>Clank was holding onto either arm of his seat, terror racing through his circuitry. They'd already had three near misses in the asteroid field and Qwark showed no sign of slowing down, burger in one hand, the other on the flight stick.<br>"Aw, man!"  
>He groaned.<br>"I got ketchup on my spandex!"  
>He let go of the flight stick and started to rub at the stain, only making it worse.<br>"Captain Qwark!"  
>Clank shouted.<br>"Ooone second, Clank"  
>He said, still rubbing at his suit.<br>"QWARK!"  
>Clank did the first thing that came to mind.<br>He jumped across Qwark and grabbed the flight stick, steering them out of the way of yet another on coming asteroid.  
>"What are you doing?"<br>Qwark yelled.  
>"Saving our lives."<br>Clank answered, struggling to keep the ship in control.  
>"I'm the hero, that's <em>my <em>job!"  
>Qwark yanked the flight stick from Clanks grip, which caused them to barrel roll to the right…<br>Into an asteroid.  
>The interior lights flashed a deep red and a low, moaning alarm sounded.<br>"Thrusters offline. Back-up thrusters offline."  
>"WE'RE GOING TO DIE!"<br>Qwark screamed, he let go of the flight stick and held his head in a panic.  
>"I'M TOO ATTRACTIVE AND AWESOME TO DIE!"<br>Clank stood on Qwarks lap and tried with all of his might to steer the falling ship to a near-by planet.  
>"Please calm down, Qwark, we will be fine."<br>He assured half-heartedly, not being sure if they'd survive himself.  
>As he steered the ship into the unknown planet's atmosphere, his smell sensors detected smoke, and sure enough, the back of the ship had caught alight.<br>Qwark continued to scream.  
>They plummeted to the planet's surface and the impact of the 'landing' caused Clank to fly through the ship's hatch and hit the ground. The little robot shut down, looking the same way he did when he was first found on Veldin.<p>

* * *

><p>Captain Corponious Qwark awoke on the ground feeling slightly dazed. He sat up and rubbed his forehead, feeling achy all over. He stood up and looked down at where he once lay.<p>

"Probably from these darn rocks!"  
>He said out aloud.<br>"Another treacherous danger that nature has placed in my path!"  
>Qwark put his hands on his hips in a fashion the he liked to call the 'hero stance' and examined his surroundings.<br>Dry, rocky, vast. A lot like Veldin.  
>Except more dry, more, rocky, more vast and not a single person in sight.<br>"Deserty."  
>He concluded.<br>Qwark saw something glimmer in the distance. He squinted his eyes, an attempt to block out the hot sun but he still couldn't make out what the silver shape was.  
>'Better go investigate!"<br>He decided.  
>"Hero style."<br>So Qwark made his way over to the shiny object… Hero style.  
>When he got close enough, he used his hand to shield the light from his eyes and saw that the shiny object was in fact Clank. Qwark thought he looked quite 'backpacky'.<br>He picked up his pace and kneeled down next to the little robot.  
>"Er, Clank?"<br>Qwark prodded him with his index finger.  
>"Clank?"<br>Nothing.  
>He picked up Clank and turned to go back.<br>That's when he saw the pile of scrap metal that was his ship.  
>"M-my… My ship!"<br>He yelped, voice raising in pitch rapidly.  
>Qwark ran over to it, Clank under his arm.<br>He lay Clank down gently next to the steaming wreck and began to comb through it to discover that even with a cracked screen, the ship's inbuilt comm-unit was still functioning.  
>Qwark dialled the first person he could think of to help him in this kind of situation, then he remembered Ratchet was the one in trouble in the first place.<br>So he called the second.  
>"Sasha Phyronix, how can I- Qwark?"<br>"Yeah… we have a bit of a situation here…"


	7. Fanboy

"Okay, so according to the tracker on your ship, you're on a small desert planet on the outskirts of Solana called Tempa, which brings me to ask, how the heck did you get so far out?"  
>Sasha asked, giving Qwark a quizical look through the cracked screen of the comm-unit.<br>"Well we went through Galaxy Burger first, _then _I forgot what we were doing so I just flew around."  
>She rolled her eyes.<br>"Anyway, the planet's nearly uninhabited, but there's a small community of fifty-three north of your location not too far away. There's also a Robo-Shack there so you can get Clank checked out. And don't forget to get a portable comm-unit, you'll need it. Sasha out."  
>The screen crackled then went blank.<br>Qwark rummaged through the wreckage and emerged with a compass.  
>"North, ey?"<br>He said to himself.  
>He held the compass away from his body and span around in slow circles until he was facing the right direction. He pocketed the compass, picked up Clank and went along his way.<p>

The desert sun exuded down on Qwark, the shining sand reflecting the violent light back in his eyes. He used his hand as a visor and looked into the distance; he saw a few small buildings not too far off. He groaned and continued through the blistering heat, the sweat in his spandex really doing a number on his thighs.  
>Eventually, Qwark made it to the small settlement, Clank still under his arm. He looked around and spotted a small weathered sign reading 'Shel's Robo-Shack'.<br>"Hot babe robot mechanic? Awesome!"  
>He said aloud, fist pumping with his free arm.<br>He slicked back his antennae, checked his biceps and swaggered into the small, hut-like building. Qwark leaned apon the counter and stretched.  
>"I have a tribal tattoo under here, y'know"<br>He announced, gesturing to his left arm.  
>A gawky looking Cazar walked out from the back of the shop. He wore thick-rimmed glasses, a band-aid in the middle holing them together and a green 'Q' pin on his chest.<br>He gasped at the sight of Qwark.  
>"Oh! Oh! Oh my!"<br>He screeched with a lisp.  
>"I-I can't believe it! I need my inhaler!"<br>He pulled a large yellow inhaler out from his pocket and puffed on it although his life depended on it.  
>"Uh… Where's Shel?"<br>Qwark asked, straightening up and setting Clank down on the counter.  
>"Shel? Th-that's me, Sheldon Airbuckle, president of the 'Qwark Cadets fan club'!"<br>Sheldon wheezed.  
>"I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S CAPTAIN QWARK!"<br>Qwark stood in the hero stance.  
>"Yes, it is I! Bask in my awesome glory!"<br>Sheldon jumped up and down, clapping and wheezing.  
>"Okay, okay,"<br>He held out his hands.  
>"Breathe, Shel, breathe!"<br>He said to himself.  
>"Okay, Captain, whaddya need?"<br>"Well, my sidekick here-"  
>"OH MY GOOD GRACIOUS GOD FROM ABOVE! IT'S SECRET AGENT CLANK!"<br>Sheldon went into a spin again.  
>"The guys at the comic book store are NOT gunna believe this!"<br>Qwark cleared his throat, clearly annoyed that the attention was no longer on him.  
>"Oh, sorry, Qwark,"<br>Sheldon now seemed nonplussed by the captain's presence.  
>"Hey, hey, hey, buddy! That's still Captain to you!"<br>Qwark crossed his arms.  
>"Okay, Captain, mind if I…?"<br>Sheldon's hands were twitching, centimetres away from Clank.  
>"Yeah, yeah, go for it."<br>Qwark rolled his eyes.  
>Sheldon squeaked then began to examine the little robot.<br>"He's taken some heavy impact, his mother boards must of shut themselves down from the shock; don't worry, though, I'll have him back online in no time!"  
>He took Clank to the back of the shop and after around five minutes, he returned to the front and sat Clank on the counter, who was now coming to.<br>The little green optics opened and Clank sat up, rubbing his head. He moved to a standing position and turned around to face Sheldon.  
>"Thank you for bringing my systems back online, Sir. How many bolts do we owe you?"<br>"We?"  
>Barked Qwark in the background.<br>"Oh, working on you was payment enough, Agent! But a photo with you two _would _be pretty neat…"  
>"Then it is done."<br>Sheldon wheezed.  
>"R-really? Y-you mean it?"<br>He looked as though he were about to faint.  
>"Of course."<br>"Oh wow! Lemme get my camera!"  
>He bolted out the back and jumped over the counter in a matter of seconds, camera now in hand.<br>Sheldon squeezed himself up against Qwark and held Clank in the other arm.  
>"CHEESE!"<br>He shouted, grinning ecstatically.  
>Click!<br>He set Clank down and stared at the camera's display in awe.  
>"Epic."<br>He mouthed.  
>"Hey buddy, we need a portable comm-unit, too."<br>Qwark said.  
>"Here."<br>Sheldon tossed the machine over to Qwark, who caught it rather clumsily.  
>"It's on the house."<br>He added, eyes still glued to the screen.  
>"Pleasure doing business with you, sir."<br>Clank said and the pair left the store.  
>"Fanboys!"<br>Qwark exclaimed.  
>Clank giggled at the captain's exasperated tone in agreement. <p>


	8. Smuggler

**A/N: Hi!  
>Not much to say except sorry about the wait... Enjoy! :)<br>WAIT.  
>There actually is a bit more to say...<br>For those of you who wanted to hear about Ratchet;  
>I know where he is, what's being done to him and what type of condition he's in... There's just not much to say about him at the moment. To describe it without giving too much away... It would be like reading about a dead cactus... Yeah.<br>But he will be back in very soon!**

* * *

><p>Clank narrowed his optics and scanned the town once more; not a ship in sight. He and Qwark had been looking for hours now but to no avail. It was the hottest part of the day and the little robot saw no use in dragging the spandex clad man around any longer, the heat obviously taking its toll on him, so he lead the way to what appeared to be the local pub. Apon entrance, the duo received a glance from the Blaargian bartender and two of the three pub-dwellers but nothing more, all of whom returned to their drinking, the bartender being the exception, who continued to clean the glass he was holding. Clank walked up to the bar and placed himself on a stool, Qwark slumping down next to him.<br>"Excuse me sir, but may I have a glass of water for my friend here, please?"  
>He asked politely.<br>The bartender looked at the robot for a moment, seemingly surprised by his manner, then proceeded to get a glass of water for Qwark. Clank pulled out some bolts and sat them on the bar. The bartender sat the glass in front of Qwark then looked at Clank, pushing the bolts back over to his side.  
>"Water don't cost here."<br>"Thank you, sir."  
>Clank said, pocketing the bolts once more.<br>"Don't mention it."  
>He said as picked up Qwark's drained glass, noticing the man's thirst, he went back to the tap and began to refill it.<br>"You two aren't from around here, what're you doing in this neck of the woods?"  
>He sat the glass down again and turned to Clank.<br>"Our ship crashed and we urgently need to get to planet Morbos."  
>The small robot explained.<br>"Morbos, huh?"  
>The bartender stroked his hairless chin.<br>"I heard that's where Dr. Nefarious set up a new base, probably just a rumour though, that guy's long gone!"  
>Qwark opened his mouth to retaliate but Clank shot him a hard glare and the hero thought better of it.<br>"Anyway,"  
>He continued.<br>"The only guy that has a ship here is that fella' over there"  
>He gestured to the shady character who sat in a booth in the corner, the only one who didn't turn to see Clank and Qwark enter the pub.<br>The bartender lowered his voice and leaned in closer to Clank.  
>"I wouldn't trust him though; I hear he's a smuggler. But if it's your only way to Morbos,"<br>He stood up straight and shrugged.  
>"It's your only way to Morbos."<br>He picked up Qwark's empty glass and began to wipe it out.  
>"Thank you for your assistance, sir."<br>Clank jumped down from the stool and headed towards the booth in the corner, Qwark remained at the bar and began to talk animatedly to the bartender who rolled his eyes at his stories.  
>Clank slipped into the booth opposite the smuggler.<br>The smuggler was blue and humanoid, a species that Clank wasn't familiar with. He had a red parrot perched on his right shoulder, what appeared to be a piece of dried wheat hanging from his mouth and he wore a black Dundee hat which cast a dark shadow over his eyes.  
>"Hello, sir."<br>Clank greeted.  
>"Howdy there, partner."<br>"I hear that you have the only ship on this planet."  
>The little robot got straight to the point and smuggler chuckled.<br>"Why yes, yes I do."  
>"What would it take for you to let me borrow it?"<br>The smuggler raised his eyebrows in surprise at Clank's forwardness.  
>"Borrow my ship? Now I'm afraid I can't do that, but I might be able to take you and your friend where you need to go for oh, I don't know..."<br>He had a sharp intake of breath.  
>"Monetary compensation."<br>"AWK! A WHOLE LOTTA' BOLTS, A WHOLE LOTTA' BOLTS, AWK!"  
>The parrot chimed in.<br>"What is the price?"  
>"Depends. Where do you need to go?"<br>"Planet Morbos."  
>"Fourteen thousand bolts."<br>The smuggler had named his price without a seconds hesitation, Clank had a feeling that no matter where he said he needed to go, the price would have been the same.  
>He sighed.<br>It was a lot of bolts, but what else was he to do?  
>"It is a deal."<br>"I assume you know the saying 'reward before consequence'?"  
>The smuggler held out his hand and Clank replied to the gesture by handing him a small bag of bolts.<br>He quickly checked the bag then shoved it in his pocket before walking out of the pub, Clank at his heels.  
>Qwark bid the bartender farewell before chasing the two out the door.<br>The smuggler pulled a small remote out of his pocket and pressed a button.  
>A decent sized cargo ship appeared out of nowhere right in front of them.<br>"We're finally leaving?"  
>Qwark looked over to Clank.<br>"Yes Captain, we are."  
>"FINALLY!"<br>He ran over to the ship and began to hop up and down.  
>"OH, OH, OH, SHOTGUN!"<br>The smuggler pressed another button and the ship unlocked, beeping twice successively, almost sounding like a yelp from a small dog.  
>He rolled his eyes at Qwark, who was now bobbing up and down in the passenger's side as he pocketed the remote and got in the driver's side. Clank climbed over Qwark and sat in the back with a few crates and some spare nanotech.<br>There were a few minutes of silence during their ascent from Tempa, but once they were in space, the silence just got awkward.  
>Until Qwark decided that now was the appropriate time to let Sasha know what they were up to.<br>"Captain, I do not think calling Miss Phyronix right now would be wise."  
>Qwark turned around in his seat to face Clank.<br>"And why would that be?"  
>Clank opened his mouth but no words came out. He had a very reasonable answer for Qwark but airing it in the presence of the smuggler would be foolish. He had referred to Sasha as 'Miss' over 'Mayor' for a reason.<br>"That's what I thought."  
>Qwark murmured and he began to dial her in on the Comm-unit.<br>"Hello and thank you for calling. Mayor Phyronix is not available at the present moment, may I take a message?"  
>"Yes, faithful assistant, this is-"<br>Qwark was cut off by The Smuggler knocking the Comm-unit out of his hands.  
>"WHAT'RE YOU PLAYING AT, BOY?"<br>He hollered.  
>"Wh-what?"<br>Qwark cowered.  
>"I'M A <em>SMUGGLER<em>, AND YOU'RE CALLING THE MAYOR OF METROPOLIS ON MY SHIP?"  
>"I'm sorry,"<br>The Comm-unit sounded.  
>"Did you say you were with a <em>smuggler<em>?"  
>Qwark scrambled to pick up the Comm-unit and end the call.<br>"Have a nice trip, feller's"  
>The Smuggler hit a red button and Clank and Qwark fell through the floor out of the ship.<br>Clank manoeuvred himself in Qwark's direction and latched onto his back.  
>Qwark screamed and flailed as they fell through the sky, Clank getting ready to activate his rockets for when they neared the ground; his heli-pack wouldn't be able to support Qwark's weight.<br>When they were a few metres away from a hard landing, Clank activated his rockets, slowing down their decent and they landed with a small thump. Clank unlatched himself from Qwark, who was patting himself all over as if to make sure he was in one piece, and narrowed his green optics as he looked around their familiar jungle-like surroundings.  
>"Something is not right..."<br>There was a rustle in the bushes and the duo moved backwards slowly until they were back to back, each in their respective battle stances.  
>They stayed like that for around two minutes until Clank dared speak again.<br>"It appears that we are in Florana."  
>"Oh no."<br>Qwark uttered.  
>This time the rustle was bigger and travelled around the circle of shrubs that surrounded them, not unlike the Mexican wave.<br>There was a single loud screech.  
>It was on.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Okay, so length wise, I thought that was pretty good for me! But near the end in the Smuggler's ship I got a bit of writers block... Then I got inspired again! But I still don't know if I like the end too much...  
>Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter! :D<strong>


	9. A familiar face

**A/N: Hi guys.  
>Okay, I know this chapter is really short, I just have the biggest writers block right now, but I'm getting there.<br>I **_**do **_**have a question, though.  
>WHAT IN THE SAM HECK HAS HAPPENED TO MY REVIEWS?<br>Okay, even without reviews, I'll continue to write, but they really inspire me and I'm literally getting two reviews at the most, if any.  
>So I'd really appreciate it if you did take the time to read this, that you review, whether it be constructive criticism, straight out criticism, flame, compliments, idea's, ANYTHING.<br>Sorry about the rant, guys.  
>I hope you enjoy, anyways. :)<strong>

* * *

><p>The army of Cyclopic monkeys leaped from the bushes and surrounded the duo.<br>They were closing in around them, with each step they looked more fierce;  
>as if they were ready to kill.<br>Qwark held out both hands in a fashion you would use when calming someone.  
>"Okay guys... No need to get antsy..."<br>The monkey's screeched and began to jump up and down in a rage.  
>"C'mon, guys! It was over two years ago!"<br>This time, they charged him.  
>Qwark attempted to kick them away but he was quickly buried under them along with Clank. When the monkey's moved away, the duo were tied up back to back with a thick green vine.<br>They clapped and shrieked in celebration then quickly formed into a tight clump, lifting Clank and Qwark over their heads and taking them into the jungle.  
>"Qwark, what did you do to make them so angry?"<br>Clank finally asked after about half an hour.  
>"That's not really important right now..."<br>Qwark brushed off rather uncharacteristically.  
>Clank narrowed his optics but decided not to persist.<br>The army arrived at a cave entrance and hurled the duo from their shoulders into the cavern. Even with his legs bound, Qwark managed to stand then began to shuffle to the entrance, which was quickly closing over. He had almost reached the entrance when his body moved in front of his feet, causing him to overbalance and face-plant the floor. The entrance closed over completely, leaving Clank and Qwark to be completely engulfed in darkness.  
>"Well this is no good."<br>Qwark deduced.  
>Out of nowhere, a short figure holding a flaming torch emerged.<br>He wore a suit that was ripped and torn in places, had a pinky-red skin tone and under his tiki-like mask, had a tuft of black hair.  
>"Captain Qwark and XJ0461... I've heard they call you 'Clank' now."<br>He pulled of the mask to reveal an all too familiar face.  
>"Oh, it's been far too long..."<p>

* * *

><p><strong><br>A/N: This chapter was devised purely from writers block. Please review!**


	10. A difficult decision

**A/N: SORRY FOR TAKING SO LONG!  
>School and work have been hectic, not to mention having no internet has restricted my uploading.<br>But I'm back online so expect more frequent updates!  
>Thanks for sticking around and enjoy! :D<strong>

* * *

><p>The Chamber was huge. So huge in fact, that if you lost your car keys in there, you'd probably only have a seventy-five percent chance of finding them.<br>Other than being huge, The Chamber was also symmetrical.  
>Surrounding the walls were large computers, each seemed very high-tech and had a Terachnoid sitting in front of it, working on various programs.<br>The room's vast space seemed to be wasted because other than the computers and Terachnoids, The Chamber was rather bare.  
>Except for the large transparent orb which floated in the exact centre, tubes of varying sizes emerged with different coloured chemicals being pumped into it to aid its occupant;<br>A bare naked Lombax, curled up in the foetal position.  
>Dr. Nefarious entered the room and headed towards the orb. He stopped in front of it and held his hands behind his back, observing The Lombax.<br>Lawrence followed and stood beside him.  
>"Everything is going to plan, Lawrence."<br>"What are you planning to do with him once the process is complete, sir?"  
>The butler seemed to lose his hesitance with calling the doctor by a title, almost as if he'd gained some new-found respect for him.<br>"The toaster is on his way and Qwark tagged along for the ride. I have a source on Florana who claims he can get them here. Let's just say..."  
>Nefarious paused for a moment.<br>"The squishee will be doing some annihilating of his own."  
>He broke out into a fit of malevolent laughter.<br>"Very good, sir."  
>And for once Lawrence wasn't humouring him.<br>It was very good, indeed.

"Oh, it's been far too long..."  
>Under the tiki mask was an all too familiar face.<br>The face of Drek.  
>The same Drek that Clank was sure he and Ratchet had disposed of on Veldin on their first adventure together.<br>"Drek?"  
>He and Qwark asked in disbelieving unison.<br>"Extreme Ultimate Supreme Executive _Chairman _Drek!"  
>The small Blarg corrected in a huff.<br>"I do not believe that you are still Chairman seeming as you have been presumed dead for four years now, Drek."  
>Clank contradicted.<br>"Oh, but I am, you primitive trash can, just of a different race now..."  
>A crowd of Cyclopic monkeys emerged from the darkness to stand behind Drek.<br>The silence was so thick you could have sliced it with a knife; even the monkeys were unusually silent.  
>Clanks curiosity got the better of him; he couldn't hold the question in any longer.<br>"How did you survive?"  
>Drek cocked his head to the side.<br>"How did I survive what? Oh, you mean when you and that space rat blew me into OUTER SPACE?"  
>His fists were clenched and he was breathing heavily.<br>Clank simply nodded.  
>"I ejected myself from the mech-suit before it exploded. I happened to land on an asteroid. Lucky... you could say."<br>Clank couldn't help but see the irony.  
>"Have you ever spent time on an asteroid, either of you?"<br>He continued, giving Qwark an occasional glance.  
>"Believe it or not, there's not much to do other than dwell on your failures... I could have had all the bolts in the world if it weren't for you two... And YOU!"<br>He turned his attention to Qwark.  
>"You could have endorsed the planet; you could have been a hero, along with being filthy rich! But what are you now? Washed up, stupid, traversing the galaxy with a tin can to save the one that's always stealing your thunder?"<br>The man twitched slightly at the truth being thrust upon him so bluntly.  
>"I'd say you got an unfair bargain, Qwark."<br>"Yeah. Yeah, I did."  
>Qwark uttered.<br>"You can still have it all. The offer still stands."  
>"I..."<br>He moved forwards.  
>"Captain, you are a good person. You do not need to be in cahoots with Drek to prove that you are a hero, all it will show is that you are a sell out."<br>Clank said, moving towards Qwark and touching his hand lightly.  
>He turned and looked into the large green optics.<br>Clank was right, he was always right.  
>He turned back to Drek and looked into his light blue eyes.<br>There was something about those eyes, crazy eyes. Ratchet always said Drek was a bit off.  
>Ratchet.<br>He was the real hero. As long as he was around, Qwark would always be second best. Did he really want that? Right now, he had a choice.  
>Be second best to a space rat or be filthy rich and sell out.<br>Qwark had already sold out.  
>What was the harm in doing it again?<br>"I-"  
>"WAIT!"<br>A voice behind them called.  
>"Argh, not <em>you <em>again! What are you doing here?"  
>Drek groaned, stomping his foot on the ground.<br>"Qwark, listen to me!"  
>Clank and Qwark turned around to face the unknown female. She wore a helmet but the high pitched voice made her gender obvious.<br>"If you accept Drek's offer now, you're gonna screw up the whole future, but if you don't, sure you're gonna make some mistakes, but you'll end up doing great things, Qwark! Please, just trust me!"  
>Qwark looked at the girl, then to Drek, then back to the girl again.<br>"Captain..."  
>Clank pleaded.<br>He looked down at Clank then to the girl once more. He looked to the ground and sighed before he whipped around to face Drek and punched him right in the nose.  
>"ARGH!"<br>Drek flew against the rocky cave wall, cupping his nose in his hand, the monkeys scattered. Qwark was breathing heavily, he hadn't moved from his most recent stance.  
>A small rumble was heard and a few crumbs of rock hit the floor.<br>"Uh oh."  
>The female sounded.<br>A large stalactite fell between her and Qwark and she let out a small shriek.  
>The trio looked at each other and ran towards the exit. Rocks continued to fall, getting larger every time and it looked as if they wouldn't make it out. Drek stood and began to run as fast as his stubby little legs would carry him.<br>"Wait!"  
>He shouted, one hand still cupping his nose while the other was outstretched towards them.<br>"You can't just leave me in here! I order you to get me out!"  
>The three disregarded his demand and continued to the exit, jumping over the rapidly growing rock mound in front of them and rolling out of the cave into the jungles of Florana.<br>They lay on the ground for a few minutes catching their breath, Clank being the exception.  
>The cave entrance was completely blocked of and they could still here Drek's muffled screams.<br>"Now."  
>Qwark panted.<br>"We need a ship."  
>The female sat up.<br>"I can help with that."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I'm proud! Not including the author's notes, this chapter is 1,112 words! Hooray for longer chapters! :D  
>I hope you enjoyed the smidgen of Ratchet, yeah it wasn't much but it's the best I could do considering his situation.<br>If you read this far, PLEASE REVEIW!  
>Reviews mean the absolute world to me, I would really appreciate it.<br>Thanks for putting up with me, anyways :) **


	11. Suspicion

The female stood up.  
>"My ship's over this way"<br>She pulled out her blaster and jogged in the gestured direction.  
>Clank stood slowly and held his head; Qwark still lay on the ground trying to catch his breath.<br>She stopped and turned to face them.  
>"Well, are you guys coming or not?"<br>Qwark sat up.  
>"I just... Need... Catch... Breath!"<br>And he flopped back in his original position.  
>The only part of the girls face that was visible through the helmet were her dark blue eyes which she was currently rolling in Qwark's direction.<br>Clank cocked his head to the side.  
>"While I do appreciate your help, may I ask why you're interested in helping two strangers?"<br>She put her hands on her hips.  
>"Well I happen to have a fuelled up ship, you two obviously need to get somewhere and I'm a nice person."<br>She replied shortly.  
>"And what may I call you by?"<br>"That doesn't matter now!"  
>She shouted shrilly.<br>"If Qwark doesn't hurry up, we're gonna run out of time, Nefarious could have set him loose by now!"  
>Her eyes widened and her hands flew over her hidden mouth; the blasted falling to the ground.<br>"How did you know Doctor Nefarious was involved in all of this... And who is 'he'?"  
>She dropped to her knees and scrambled to pick up the blaster.<br>"Urgh, just... don't worry, we need to get going!"  
>She shot up and began to jog in the direction of her ship.<br>Clank narrowed his optics but decided not to delve any further.  
>There was definitely something suspicious about that girl.<p>

* * *

><p>Once Clank had finally got Qwark up, they followed the girl back to her ship. It was blue and was hovering above the ground. The hatch popped open and the female jumped in the driver's side.<br>"She's only a two seater, but I think we'll fit."  
>Qwark jumped in the other side and Clank squished himself in between the two.<br>"Hello there, Clank."  
>The ship sounded.<br>The female furrowed her brow and hit the ship on the dash.  
>"Oh, erm... Sorry. I mean hello, there, strangers."<br>Clank narrowed his optics. He opened his mouth to speak but Qwark cut him off.  
>"Wow! Your ship can speak?"<br>The girl looked relieved at the change of subject.  
>"Uh, yeah, she has A.I installed... Where do you guys need to go?"<br>"Morbos."  
>Clank replied.<br>"Do you have the coordinates? We don't know Solana well."  
>The metal on Clank's hand rolled back; not unlike a garage roller door and a usb was now in its place. He inserted it in the ship's usb port and after a moment it sounded 'Coordinates to Morbos now downloaded'.<br>He removed his hand and it returned to its original state.  
>The hatch closed over and they ascended into space.<br>The only sound that was heard was the humming of the ship and Qwark's snoring.  
>Clank turned to Qwark and removed the comm-unit that was hanging out of his pocket.<br>"Mayor Phyronix, oh hi, Clank, how're things going?"  
>"Quite well, we're on our way to Morbos."<br>"You fixed the ship?"  
>"No, not exactly,"<br>"You hitched a ride?"  
>"Yes."<br>"Who with?"  
>"Well, I'm not entirely sure..."<br>"What do you mean you're not sure?"  
>"Well, I don't know who she is"<br>Clank looked over to the female who was concentrating on the path ahead.  
>"Tal."<br>She said.  
>Clank averted his attention from the comm-unit.<br>"Sorry?"  
>"Call me Tal."<p>

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I don't know. I'm not too fond of this chapter.  
>And it's a bit short.<br>Yeah...  
>Sorry.<br>But thanks for reading, please review. :3**


	12. Lawrence

**A/N: Hey there, guys. **  
><strong>I haven't had much time to write at all, but I did do this teaser chapter type thing... <strong>  
><strong>To keep you occupied... Hopefully. <strong>  
><strong>I'd appreciate reviews, too. <strong>  
><strong>There's been a lack, lately...<strong>

* * *

><p>Some people say that Veldin is a back water planet.<br>That's only because they haven't heard of Morbos.  
>Situated on the outskirts of the Solana galaxy, Morbos is inhabited by well... Nothing.<br>Of course there's the occasional amoeboid attack with Dr. Nefarious's station being located there, but the natural inhabitants have been extinct for centuries.  
>Lawrence stood outside with his hands behind his back.<br>Even though he was mechanical, he still had the ability to appreciate the captivating scenery.  
>His temperature receptors could sense the extreme cold and he couldn't help but wonder for that split second what it would be like to be organic, with real sensors rather than his artificial ones.<br>He shook his head, concluding that being organic would be absurd; squishies have far too many vulnerabilities and weaknesses.  
>A spec in the sky was descending and this made the robot curious. He focused his optics onto the spec to discover that it was a blue ship landing far off in the distance.<br>The hatch popped open and out jumped an over sized spandex clad man, a female with a curvy body and a swaying purple tail and a small metallic robot.  
>"Oh goodie."<br>Lawrence murmured sarcastically.  
>"I get to release the droids."<br>He returned his optics to their normal state and waddled inside.


	13. Something in the distance

Talwyn looked around the vast scenery. Judging only from her view inside the ship, she would have thought the desert to be sweltering, warm at the least, but apparently it was quite the contrary.  
>Though it <em>was <em>twilight. Deserts usually drop to below zero at night; her father taught her that.  
>She hugged herself tight as her teeth continued to chatter.<br>"Er... Tal?"  
>She looked down to Clank who seemed a bit awkward calling her by her first name; in Polaris he had always referred to her as 'Miss. Apogee'.<br>"You seem cold, do you have anything extra you can put on in your ship?"  
>She thought for a second.<br>"No, I don't. But once we get walking it'll be fine. What way do you want to go?"  
>The small bot turned 360 degree's, taking in his surroundings.<br>"The area seems deserted; you and the Captain are the only organic life forms I am sensing. But I am almost certain this is where Ratchet and I were."  
>He turned away again.<br>"I say we go this way."  
>He said pointing straight ahead.<br>Talwyn smiled.  
>"Then that way it is"<p>

Qwark was being uncharacteristically quiet. Clank didn't know if he should fall behind and see if he was okay or just let it pass.  
>He decided to fall back.<br>He slowed his pace so that Qwark would unknowingly catch up with him.  
>It didn't take long before the two were side by side.<br>"Captain? Are you alright?"  
>Qwark let out a small yelp.<br>"Oh, erm, Clank! I didn't know you were there!"  
>The spandex clad man quickly picked up his cocky farce...<br>"But I, Captain Copernicus Qwark, am always alright!"  
>And failed miserably.<br>"What you did today was a good thing, Captain. The Qwark I knew four years ago would have never done that."  
>It was silent for a while.<br>"I am proud of you."  
>Clank averted his attention to the road ahead.<br>There was a rather large building in the distance.  
>The small bot picked up the pace to catch up with Tal who had stopped dead in her tracks.<br>"Tal! I am certain that this is Dr. Nefarious's base!"  
>As he got closer, he could see over the small hill Tal was standing on.<br>"Clank... You can fight, right?"  
>Nefarious's base wasn't the only thing in the distance...<p>

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Hey there!  
>Sorry about the long wait on the update.<br>Prepare for usual excuses: School/work/writers block/etc...  
>BUT.<br>From now on we can take work and writers block out of the equation!  
>I've planned out the rest and I know what's going to happen, there's unfortunately only a few chapters to go ;  
>Oh, and I quit my job ;)<br>It's a good thing!  
>So again, sorry about how short it is, *cough* REVIEW *cough* and action next chapter, alright?<br>I promise!  
>So until next time guys,<br>keep rocking!  
>Apparently that's my thing now...<br>Dammit, I'm lame...**


	14. Nefarious

Lawrence had warned him of the approaching ship and naturally he had sent the butler-bot to release the Amoeboids; not a particularly dangerous breed but enough force to slow the trio down.  
>Nefarious watched the stout robot leave the room before turning away from his computer monitor, hands clasped behind his back as he headed to two large door that opened upon his approach, taking him into the main chamber. He looked across the large bare room and his red optics rested upon the large orb in the center of the room.<br>Ratchet was barely recognisable, muscles swollen and veiny as his new over-sized form bulged against the force field. His face had taken on more animalistic features; a protruding snout shaped into a permanent scowl with deadly fangs and thick, wild eyebrows.  
>Nefarious took a step closer to his specimen, cocking his head to the side as an almost deranged expression spread across his robotic face.<br>The sound of a throat clearing caused the doctor to turn around and look to one of the Terachnoid standing before him.  
>"Yes?" He spoke shortly.<br>"Uh, the machines are at maximum capacity, Sir. If you don't give us the word to shut them down soon you could lose control of Ra- uh, the specimen."  
>Nefarious said nothing, watching the Terachnoid shift uncomfortably under his glare. "Turn them off." Was all he said, turning away from the organic to look to the Lombax once more.<p>

Eyes snapped open to reveal red irises and large black pupils, the doctor jumping back. "Are the machines off?" He called out, watching the large eyes dart around the room. "Squishee!" He called. No reply. "Jarvis!"  
>"Machines off in three, two, one."<br>The sound of the machines shutting down echoed throughout the bare chamber and Jarvis turned to look to the large orb, face growing pale as he noticed red eyes wide open. "Sir...?"  
>"Restrain him."<br>The orb quivered and the large body inside flexed as the beast growled.  
>"Immediately."<p>

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** _Good lord it's been a long time! Anyways, this is just a teaser update to let you guys know I'm still here and gonna' finish this story!  
>It's good to be back!<em>

_~ Temporal Abnormalities _


	15. Author's note

Hey everyone! So I just wanted to talk about _Weapons of Mass Destruction_ for a little.  
>The thing is when I wrote this story, I really didn't expect any reviews. At the time I was only fifteen and began writing for the sole reason that I dreamt Ratchet knocked himself out with one of his huge guns like I had him do in the first chapter and I woke up laugh-crying.<br>When I began writing I had no plans at all for this story and every chapter was literally me winging it. You were wondering what was going to happen next after an update? Well me too!  
>Yeah. I realised that was a real terrible way to write.<br>But even though I didn't have a set plan, I was always going to finish this story because GOOD GRIEF nothing hurts more than finding a fabulous half-finished story and seeing the last update was in 2005. Not that I ever thought anyone would ever feel that way about my writing.  
>I had no idea about the amazing feedback I'd get for this story and people actually begging for updates; I've even had a few people on Tumblr send me asks about this work!<br>This story may not have as many reviews as other works in the archive but the quality of all the reviews I get is worth so much more than any number.  
>So I wanted to thank you all. The people who liked, followed, put in their favourites, learned to recite the first few chapters without a computer in front of them (yeah someone did that!), I just want to thank you guys a whole lot. But especially my reviewers. I find the people who review this story are crazy loyal! I recently found out a fair few still check for upates regularly even thought if we exclude my recent update, THE LAST CHAPTER WAS POSTED TWO YEARS AGO! Like seriously! I really couldn't be more blessed!<p>

But I guess that wasn't really me talking about the story, that was me kind of gushing and crap. But I do have some plans for this story I'd like to tell you all about.  
>Obviously, WoMD isn't finished yet. I've been promising action for a while but put it off a fair bit because I was kind of clueless on how to write action. But in the last three years I think my writing has improved a whole lot, mainly because whenever I read any of my old work I cringe, and that has to mean something, right?<br>But I've gotten off track again.  
>Next chapter will be a whole lot of action, and the chapter after that a whole lot of Ratchet. I think I finally know where I'm going with this!<br>But as well as finally having a plan, once I finish this story I plan on going back and rewriting each chapter. The story and dialog will remain the same, but I'll be correcting spelling and grammar, story structure, and just fixing up crap I know I can make sound a whole lot better now.

So that's pretty much it. After posting the new teaser the other day I just wanted to post a formal message to say yes I'm still alive, yes I'm still a huge R&C fan, and I totally, _totally _plan on finishing this story.  
>There might even be sequel ideas rolling in my noggin... ;)<p>

Thank you everyone for the continued support!

~ Temporal Abnormalities


End file.
